Itou Junji Kyoufu Manga Collection: Souichi no Tanoshii Nikki

This volume was a brief departure from the one-shots present in the preceding volumes. Instead, there was a constant cast of characters, with each story revolving around the occult-themed antics of Souichi, a troubled boy. Story, 7: The stories were sorted in chronological order, and though they were mostly self-contained, there was definitely a passage of time. Most of them involved voodoo or other occult themes (curses, premonitions, etc.), which was good for establishing a creepy feeling without being overtly supernatural (aside from the middle chapters). Art, 7: Given the more subdued nature of the stories, there weren't as many chances for Ito's artistry to shine.The characters were well-drawn, but there weren't any grotesquely beautiful images from the previous volumes. Characters, 7: The big strength of this particular volume was the development of the cast, namely Michina (the young female protagonist for most of the stories). Every character felt unique and was characterized enough that they didn't seem to just be archetypes. Souichi had some interesting development in the later chapters, though the reasons/results of some of his actions were still unclear to me by the end of the volume. Enjoyment, 7: It was a good read. This volume reminded me a bit of Tomie (one of Ito Junji's earlier works), where a recurring antagonist appears to torment the chapter's protagonist(s) (in this case, the protagonists were mostly the same throughout the volume). Overall, 7: Aside from some brief transgressions in the middle chapters, the volume did a great job at establishing an eerie atmosphere without being over-the-top. The middle chapters were a bit too blatant with their supernatural elements (which weren't in the other chapters), but the volume as a whole was an entertaining read. I'd recommend it if you're a fan of Ito or simply want a quick and self-contained horror read. Favorite Chapter: "Souichi's Birthday"; Least Favorite: "Souichi's Home Tutor"